(Being) The Non-Victim

1:01 AM Michael 0 Comments



I've been reading a remarkable book I saw on the news that very early on introduces the idea that our natural instinct as humans is to consider ourselves as a victim. Plainly, we believe things happen to us. Even bank robbers and serial killers believe they are victims. They engage in their acts because this and this happened to them. And really, I was so astonished listening to their testimonies. On a relate-able level, (I can already feel myself defending myself) if I am gossiping with someone about something, really I want to say I am a victim of temptation or the desire to feel important by being a source of juicy information to someone else. (note:I wanted to write if someone is gossiping with me, clearly making me the angel/victim of the gossip happening). Essentially, my initial proposition is: we are victims of our lives.

Now let me quickly introduce a flip side before I allow those earlier words to take life. You can control your life. I really one hundred percent believe this. One day I was doing the go-backs, bringing clothes from the dressing room onto the floor and thinking to myself that everywhere I have been and every situation I am in can be directly traced to a decision I had made. Glamorous and non glamorous situations a like. I am in complete control of my life. This does come with a disclaimer. Things do not always go the way I would like them to go. And there are a whole lot of times I am like, "why God why?" And a lot of situations where I find myself crying, not anything I would wish for. But the magic is resilience, to keep going forward, and to keep creating your life.

I. really. believe. you. can. create. whatever. you. would. like. from. life. The resources, they will appear. So my challenge to Michael Edwards, is to believe you are no longer a victim. You are a victor, you are a creator, and you can choose whatever attitude you have in whatever situation you are in. So go get it, I am watching you. This is the ultimate art project. The ultimate masterpiece.